Banner of Chivalry
by SoaringGryphonProductions
Summary: Gonda, Duchess of Bonn, is a knight from Lord Haido's lands. Having escaped execution, and on the run, she has now gone to Konoha seeking exile. A warrior bound to the ancient code, Gonda seeks a new life in Konoha with a ready sword or a battle axe to protect those she cares for.
1. Chapter 1

**Naruto: Banner of Chivalry**

**Chapter 1: Old Ways Never Die (The Exiled Knight of Konoha)**

My name is Gonda, Duchess of the House of Bonn, and I am about to die. Once upon a time, I gave my sword and my loyalty to Lord Temujin and served him well and honorably on the battlefield. Where has the notion of honor gone? Is it but a fleeting voice upon the winds, across the lines and beyond the hills? No, I will defend my honor with my life.

Here I am now, on my knees in the deep forest outside of Haido's fortress. The spring thaw has begun, and the blossoms are in bloom. I wish I could pick one, but my hands are bound. I am here because I refused to attack a village that did not give tribute to Lord Haido. I will never stain my sword with innocent blood. I will gladly give my life for them.

"At least let me die with dignity," I requested,

To think that it is my own sword that will send me to the afterlife. The soldier gestured with his neck to see to my request. My chainmail coif and aventail were removed so the skin of my neck would be exposed to the cold steel. As the blade swung to my neck, I weaved and kneed the soldier in the gut and took back my sword, and slashed his throat.

I turned to face the second. I parried away his sword, and slashed him across the face. His body fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes. I put back on my coif, and mounted my stallion to make my escape in to the dense forested trails. I don't know where I was going to go, but there had to be a better place than Lord Haido's lands that is for sure.

"Hyah!" I belted, urging my stallion to gallop,

That evening, I had escaped from Haido's lands, but I knew not of where I was. I let my stallion rest near a creek while I set up a fire. I sifted through my knapsack, and found some powdered soup for my evening meal. Many questions went through my mind. Who ordered my execution? And since when is sparing innocent people considered a crime?

So I am thinking you must be wondering what does a knight looks like? Well, I have short blond hair to better fit a helmet and coif, and brown eyes. I stand at 183cm tall and 91kg in weight. If you want a friend, I can be quite the teddy bear for you. Get on my bad side or face me in battle, then my teddy bear side can turn into a mother grizzly bear

"Good boy," I said stroking the stallion lightly,

What does a knight wear in battle, and what are they armed with? Let us start from the top, and work our way down? First is my helmet. It is a combined bascinet with pivoting kettle hat and bevor plate. It provides protection and vision. Next are my neck, shoulders and arms which are the gorget, pauldron, rerebrace, couter, vambrace, and gauntlets.

I wear both a chainmail shirt and a steel cuirass to protect my chest, and tight black leather leggings to prevent pinching with chainmail chausses to protect the back of my legs. The front is protected by cuisses, poleyns, greaves, and sabatons. The final parts are a short-sleeved surcoat decorated with my family coat-of-arms, and my leather sword belt.

"Another day, thus we keep moving," I stated,

So what weapons am I armed with? First you need a shield. The shield knights use is called the 'heater shield'. Like my surcoat, it is decorated with my coat-of-arms. Next is my sword called an arming sword. It has an overall length of 39 inches, a blade length of 33 inches, a blade width of 2 inches at the guard, a 7 inch wide guard and weighs 2.5lbs.

It is sheathed in a leather and steel scabbard at my left hip side. On my right in a leather loop is my secondary weapon if I lose my sword in battle. That weapon is a battle axe. A single handed design measuring 21 and half inches long with a 7 and three-quarters by 9 inch single-edged steel blade and a weight of 4lbs, this is not to be underestimated.

I soon saw a village, "Finally some luck at last,"

I recognized the symbol at the front of the village gates. I believe this village is called Konoha. With all the weapons and armor on me, it will be difficult to tell the good folk of the village that I come in peace. Might as well try, and get rejected by the guard rather than not try at all. My armor clinked and rattled as I rode up with my horse to the gate.

"Halt!" said the guard, and did as he requested. I dismounted my stallion with none of my weapons at the ready, and my shield on my back, "state your business, stranger," he asked of me. I took off my helmet to reveal myself to him wearing a coif of chainmail. I can see in his eyes that he does not trust me. The trust of another is to earned after all.

"My good man, my business is my own," I replied,

He squinted his eyes lightly at me. I hoped my eyes would not make him perceive me as a threat to the village. I have a bit of a chest on me and my hips are quite large and wide though smooth and well-shaped. I tilted my head slightly wondering if there was a problem, "You may pass, Friend," he said, and I led both myself and my horse into the village.

**(Read and review kindly, or I will tell Gonda that one of you called her 'Fat')**


	2. Chapter 2

**Naruto: Banner of Chivalry**

**Chapter 2: Way of the Knight**

The duty of a knight is to protect the innocent, and find honor in all deeds. I believe that statement wholeheartedly. My beliefs were put to the test on an ordinary day where I was to meet the village leader. I awoke that morning to groom myself and apply my armor and weapons. I left my helm in the room of an inn I was staying at for a short time.

It looked like market day in the busy streets of the village. I can feel the eyes of some villagers as I passed by. I do not feel a neglect as others might, but a sense of interest. I can say I feel the same way. A knight in a village full of ninja. Sure, I might feel a bit out of place, but it is human to either be interested in what is different, or to fear it instead.

Though I had a meeting I must attend to, there were so many goods in the market that I have never seen before that I am very keen to try. Yet something happened today that I did not expect, a young thief held me at knifepoint and eying the small pouch of money that I had at my belt. With such youthful features to his ragged clothing, I do feel pity.

"Give me your money!" he demanded,

"Don't do this," I advised him,

The blade of the knife trembled in his hands, and he backed away as I approached him. He was like a stray cat encountering a person trying to help. He kept the blade up, and pointed at me, "Don't patronize me, just give me the money or I'll kill you!" he blasted as a threat, I lightly grinned to tell him I was not afraid, and that I was here to help him.

I placed a hand on the pommel of my longsword, and pulled back my coif of chainmail, "My good son, you are not even holding the knife correctly," I instructed, the boy looked confused and I approached him as a teacher rather than his target, "what is the point of threatening me if you do not know what you are doing? Here now, let me help you, son"

I picked up a wooden dowel that can be a good shaft for an axe or even a mace, "First off, you need the proper stance," I said getting behind him, "now right leg forward," I tapped him in the back of his leg lightly with the wood dowel, "good, now bend your knees slightly...good, when you hold the knife, grip with one hand...keep your arm relaxed,"

"Now attack me," I said, and he did,

I moved aside, and struck his cheek, "You hit me!"

"Well yes, you should know that such a deed does not go unpunished," I said seeing the thief holding his cheek that I just struck with the backhanded steel of my gauntlet. If he lived in a village in my homeland, he would have his hands chopped off by the executioner's axe. I would never wish such a fate for him. I kneeled down, and reached out to him

I can see the boy has guilt in his eyes. He does this because circumstances dictate him to do so. It maybe money and desperation as a means to find a place in this world, or to find a better life. I placed a soft hand on the cheek I struck. He cringed slightly in pain, "Forgive me," I asked of the little thief, and helped the poor young boy back onto his feet.

The boy shook his head, "I shouldn't have tried to steal from you," he replied, it pains me to see children in such a state. I placed gentle hands on his shoulders, and went on my way to see the village leader. I stopped for a moment, and turned to face the boy. He will need this more than I do. I smirked a grin, and gave him the small pouch of gold coins.

"You are innocent in my eyes," I replied to him,

The little boy looked at the bag of coins, and back up at me. I was touched for doing what The Almighty would have asked of me, "The weak can never forgive, forgiveness is an attribute of the strong," I said with a nodding bow to the boy, and went on my way to the village leader. I decided to keep the wooden dowel. I might use it for a tool like an axe.

Maybe I did not fully think through my act of generosity as my belly seemed to be asking for food, and there seemed to be a place to sit down and have a meal a short distance, "I saw what you did for that boy," said a young lady at the counter with a grin of admiration, "if you're hungry, miss, it's on the house," I was touched by her gracious generosity

I have never had noodles like this before, and I always like trying new things and learning new things. The young lady taught me how to use chopsticks, and I likened them to holding a pen and found that it is very useful with such a meal. The roasted pork was fatty and tender, and the noodles were a delight with the garlic and corn in a special broth.

"If you don't mind me asking, what are you?"

I was finishing my meal as she asked me the question. I wanted to be polite, and show my manners as I wiped my slightly pouted lips. The meal was delicious, and someone wanting to get to know me was equally as refreshing, "Me?" I asked, and smirked a friendly grin to the young lady. I felt like I had made my first friend today, "I am a knight,"


	3. Chapter 3

**Naruto: Banner of Chivalry**

**Chapter 3: Trial By Combat **

Warfare is a nasty business, but battle is a way of life for a knight. The carnage seen on the front lines will reach deep within you. It seems most problems are solved by brute force. I remember years ago my first taste of combat. I was not much smaller than the size I am now, but my services were called on to defend a town from an invading army.

Little did I know that the one laying siege to the fortress town would be the one I swore to protect in the future, "Come on men, breach the walls!" he called out as arrows filled the skies like rainfall. The archers on the ramparts fired back, and stood their ground. The bodies of the dead, pinned with arrows, were slumped over the walls of the ramparts.

Stones from catapults and trebuchets came down on the village like brimstone. Bodies of soldiers were thrown from the ramparts. Their screams silenced as they hit the ground or a were broken against a wooden cart or a wood and canvas shop stall. With the grip of my sword clutched in my vice with my shield, I watched and directed the foot soldiers.

A battering ram sounded like thunder as it bludgeoned the iron gates. I leaped down from the ramparts, and helped get the people out of the city to the safety of the hills. The stallion I rode to help the innocent flee to safety would become my most trusted companion and he still is, Godenak. A stallion with a black muzzle and pelt as grey as chainmail.

The troops within the village were not going to stand by, and get bombarded with stone from the enemy. It was our turn to fire back, "Ballista at the ready!" I called out with my sword raised to the sky. With a downward slash, I gave the order, "Feuer!" a stone ball flew through the air, and hit the mark in the enemy ranks, "Fight! Do not relent, my kin!"

The clash of steel meeting steel mixed in with the cries of the brave, and the dying. The way of the knight in battle is up close, and personal. My sword was a scythe in a field full of briars. Blood splattered against my exposed face, and I tasted the blood of my enemy on my tongue. It is salty, and with the mix of my sweat from the weight of all my armor

A knight armed with a flanged mace hit my shield, and unhorsed me. I watched as my steed made his exit of the battlefield in a full gallop, '_Run my friend!_' I thought to myself, and righted myself in chainmail and plate armor. I had lost my sword in the fray, and readied my battle axe from my belt loop. I cleaved my way through waves of foot soldiers.

"Hold firm!" I yelled,

The sound of an axe blade cleaving through armor, flesh, and bone is not a noise I want my ears to remember, but it is testament to the single law of battle: slay the enemy or be slain yourself. I smacked aside one soldier with the blunt side like a hammer. I yelled a loud battle cry as I came down on a second enemy soldier, cleaving him down the face

I found my sword again among a pile of the dead and dying. I put my axe in the belt loop, and readied my sword. My flesh is mortal, but I will not be stopped. I will not let these innocent people fall to the blades and plundering of this enemy. Though the battle was futile, I still held on as did my soldiers under my banner. There is no surrender, no retreat.

I was the only one left of the defending army of the small fortress town. That was the first time I met Temujin. He came in riding a brown stallion, and lifted up the visor of his helmet to get a look at me. A fate worse than death is slavery. I was kicked to the ground on my knees to him, "Stop it!" he ordered heatedly to his men, "what is your name?"

I turned my eyes away from him, "Come now, this is no need to be ashamed, I wish I had more warriors like you among my ranks," he said to me, he lightly touched my cheek, and I shivered lightly at the touch like a startled dog awoken from sleep, "I will spare the people of the village, you have my word, now then...what is your name, brave knight?"

"Gonda...Duchess of Bonn," I replied, the soldiers from his army began to murmur. The leader of the attacking army offered a hand to me. I looked at the hand, and glanced up at him, "I will not be your slave, I for one choose death," I said holding the edge of my sword to my the skin of my neck. The leader shook his head, and moved the sword away.

"I ask that you serve me, not as a slave or a handmaid, but as a guard, you answer only to me," said Temujin, "you are an equal in battle, and I will treat you as an equal during peacetime and times of war, look into my eyes, and you will my word is trustworthy," I took his hand, and was lifted to my feet. It is clear I am slightly taller than this fare knight

"Words are but mere sounds of speech if no action is put behind them," I replied, it was then that my life changed forever. I knew of this knight. He serves Lord Haido. If he is making such an offer to me, it makes one wonder what goes on behind the shades of secrecy. As I took his hand up, and her placed a firm hand on my shoulder, my life changed


End file.
